Ron Hale

Ron Hale was born in Mexico and has lived in New Mexico for over 30 years. Ron has been doing radio since the 1960s—first at WRSN in Swarthmore, PA, then at WGDR in Plainfield, VT, and then in New Mexico at KUNM in Albuquerque and KSFR in Santa Fe, where he is part of the Acoustic Explorations team of DJ’s. Ron has been involved with folk, bluegrass, and traditional country music since high school and college, playing guitar and singing in a number of acoustic bands—currently with the Atomic Grass bluegrass band (with fellow KSFR DJ Phil Vergamini). Ron has a strong interest in the history of traditional American country music and in how that history is reflected and expressed in contemporary culture and music. In his other life, Ron has worked for many years as a consultant to non-profit organizations, primarily in health and human services. He also serves on the boards of several non-profits, including as president of Outside In, which brings music and performing arts into institutional settings and produces the Santa Fe Bandstand concerts on the Plaza each summer.

Ron was involved in the very early meetings in Santa Fe that eventually led to the establishment of KSFR as the city’s first and only public radio station. He has been doing Acoustic Explorations for a number of years, since the departure of the show’s founder, Peter Nathanson, who moved away from Santa Fe. Ron believes that public radio is a powerful means of enriching our lives, keeping us informed, and building a strong and vibrant community.